PEC Program for 21 Jan / Report for 14 Jan 2007

NEWSLETTER January 19, 2007

Dear Pattaya Expats Club Members & Friends

Our planned Club Programme for Sunday, January 21, 2007.

Our guest speaker is Steve Dickens, Managing Director of Liberty Computers, and a long-time sponsor of the PEC. Khun Steve has worked in Information Technology for his entire career, including many years at one of the world’s leading Management Information software companies.

Steve’s talk will cover some of the common internet scams that are circulating on the web’s e-mail these days, such as the one that begins “We have just located an account in your name at Lloyds of London…” These hoaxes try to get you to part with your money, and Steve will tell us what to look out for, and how to avoid them. He will also advise us on other tribulations facing computer users, such as junk mail, a status update on Windows Vista, and the internet problems caused by the Taiwan earthquake in late December which are still plaguing SE Asia. Steve will also host an information table in the foyer, where he promises to try to answer all computer related questions, but wants us to remember that he does not have the answer to everything!

Our Master of Ceremonies this Sunday will be Brian Maxey, and Alexander Valentine will host our Open Microphone Forum, as well as entertain us with some PowerPoint Diversions, so come and listen in at 2nd Rd’s Grand Sole Hotel, and participate with questions and answers about nearly everything for living safely and legally in Pattaya !

The PEC’s DVD and Book Swap will be located on the Meeting Manager’s table, front left of the ballroom. Bring in those books and DVD’s that you’ve already perused, and swap them out for some new ones!

The PEC is starting a Monthly Breakfast Social at the UK owned cafe Canturbury Tales, (located on Soi Chaiapoon off Soi Buakhao, near the top of Soi Diana Inn) which is also a bookshop and a club prize giver. We are printing 25 tickets per month for the social; it will be held the last Thursday of each month at 10 AM. We began selling tickets on the 14th, and will again next week. Menu and Price:
75 Baht Ticket – English fried breakfast, (2 eggs, 1 sausage, 2 bacon tomato baked beans, doorstep toast, butter & marmalade, mug of tea or coffee, plus orange juice). Or ‘Healthy Breakfast’ (exotic fruits, cereal, yogurt, mug of tea or coffee). Or Omelet. Or Tuna Salad.

We hope to attract newcomers and new members to meet informally with old hands for a meal and to talk, and we will have extra book prizes from the owner that day. The first Social is on Thursday, 25th Jan - please buy a ticket !

MEMBERSHIP NOTE: The PEC committee has reduced the cost of short term memberships, which all expire 31 December 2007, to 200 Baht for the year.

Transportation to/from Suvarnabhumi Airport:

Roong Reung's Blue and White coach service departs from the airport bus depot to Pattaya Nua station at the following times: 8 AM, 11 AM, 3 PM and 7 PM. The Ticket office window is in the airport bus station. Price 106 Baht. Bell Travel goes up to the new airport each day from Pattaya Nua Bus Station (ticket office bungalow in the car park to right) at 06:00, 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00 and 19:00. Two ticket prices, depending if you book to be picked up by Bell Travel minibus from your home, 150 Baht or 200 Baht.

A Yellow Bus to the airport leaves from Jomtien's Chaiyaphuk Road, (the office is near Beach Road). Tickets can be purchased 1 day in advance. From Jomtien daily (09:00, 13:00, 17:00 and 19:30), and from the airport (09:00, 13:00, 17:00 and 20:00). Price 106 Baht, one way. This service is suitable for those terminating travel in Jomtien, but there is no stop in Pattaya.

o-o-o-o

And from our MC Brian Maxey on the meeting of January 14, 2007:
Hi, I'm Brian, an MC at the Sunday meetings of PEC

To contact the Pattaya Expats Club email: (webhits2000@yahoo.com) (do not use - info@pattayaexpatsclub.com - it doesn't work)

Programme Manager:- Loran Davidson.
Meeting Manager:- enRico Nestler.
Richard was our MC today, with Bob as Open-Forum Moderator.

Please think about helping out at the Pattaya Expats Club Meetings, or in the background during the week. A lot of preparation needs to go into one of these Meetings. You would be welcome, and you can determine your own level of assistance. Please contact a ‘Maroon Jacket’ member at any meeting.

Our Speaker today was:- Bruno Keller, the leader of the German Language Wing of PEC, Board Member of PEC, presenter of the German Language segment of Pattaya People Television on Sophon Cable. Considering just how much Bruno tries to do in any 1 week, I just don't know how he found the time to prepare such an interesting and informative speech for our audience. We learnt, for example, that a 1 hour segment on PPTv takes about 6 hours to prepare, apart from the actual filming. The German Language Wing (under a different title in those days) started when we were using the Green Tree Restaurant & Pub as our venue, and has continued since that time. Of course, as happened to the International Wing, things started to take off when we moved to our present location. Eventually, due to increased popularity and a severe lack of space, they moved to a magnificent venue in the grounds of Wat Chaimongkon Temple, South Pattaya Road (near 2nd Road), where they meet on the 1st & 3rd Saturday of each month. Thanks Bruno for a great presentation.

The second speaker was Khun Yok, who told us of her motivational method of teaching Thai to foreigners. She teaches Thai in group, or individual sessions, at her school on Naklua Road, 119/77, opposite Wat Po. She gave a few pointers on pronunciation, how to speak with our Thai friends and family, and how to conduct business with our local Thai businessmen. If you would like to learn thai, Khun Yok's e-mail is: yok_teach_thai@yahoo.co.th, or call: 08 9166 4899.

The new short-term membership is 200 baht - expiring 31 December 2007. Life-membership remains a bargain at 600 baht.

Ask those questions on living in Thailand - here at the Meeting - during the Open Forum. This feature occurs each week - come and ask the expat experts! :)

Someone asked about International Moving companies, or Freight Forwarders. We haven't covered this information for a while, so here goes. There are three companies that have spoken at our meetings in the past:
Paul Wilkinson, Manager AGS Four Winds International Moving Ltd. 038306330 & 0819039477, (www.agsfourwinds.com).
Pat Gossett. Transpo International Ltd and/or Asian tigers. e-mail
p.gossett@asiantigers-thailand.com (http://www.asiantigers-thailand.com/)
0818626166, 022590116.
Rainer Roessler. EWAS, (East-West Air Services). Worldwide services by air and sea. 038601204, fax 038603219, 0897763490 Email: roessler@logo-trade.com

The new foreign currency regulations confusion has been exacerbated further by more changes to the regulations for foreign investors in Thailand. As is often the case, it is a little early to fully understand the implications of these changes. If you know someone who may have figured out the real meaning please help us to understand how we may import substantial funds for various everyday needs within the current regulations.

The British Embassy has a Pattaya Office local representative for emergencies. He is Barry Kenyon. Contact 081 782 7363. Barry can authenticate your UK pension or UK bank statements for Immigration purposes if you can show proof.

US Embassy local Pattaya representative for emergencies is Gary Hacker. Contact 089 803 0388.

Please help our Meeting organisers by suggesting 'Speakers' for our weekly (Sunday) Meetings. Tell us a subject you wish to hear of by suggesting a competent speaker. There are vacancies in February, onwards. Please come up with some ideas and contact Loran our current Program/Speakers Manager. Give her your suggestions and let her arrange the details. Please do not fix dates in advance.

Contact: Loran Davidson (furzymouse@msn.com).

The PEC next golf group's Monthly Golf Tournament is 30 January at Eastern Star. More info on this event is available from Pattaya People Office (Soi Day Night), Globetrotter (just off Soi 7), and of course PEC Club meetings on Sunday, or contact Ossi Viljanen on 081 851 9620, (ossigolf@yahoo.com).

Deutschsprachige Treffen. Jeden 1.und 3. Samstag im Monat,10:00 Uhr morgens, im Konferenzsaal des Wat Chaimongkon an der South Pattaya Road. Nachste Treffen: 7. January und 21. January 2007. Jeder ist eingeladen. Info: Erwin 086 009 8497

Why not come along next Sunday morning 10:30am (11:30 program start) to the Grand Solé Hotel (in the Theppraya Room, up on the Mezzanine level), 370 Pattaya 2nd Road (north), near the Pattaya Mail Office. Hotel tel: 038 427 555 Fax: 038 427 550. Half way between TOPS supermarket & BIG-C supermarket - bring a friend.

For location - link to: (http://www.grandsolepattaya.com/location.htm)

PEC website:- (http://pattayaexpatsclub.com)
PEC Blogg:- (http://pattayaexpatsclub.blogspot.com)

See you soon, MC - Brian.

Wherever you are in the world today, we wish you a great Holiday Season , and if you are not already enjoying life in Pattaya - then come back soon.

Best wishes from all of us at the Pattaya Expats Club